In This Week's Newsletter:

• Opportunity Spotlight of the Week: DOD USSOCOM EMAPS3

• Four To Follow: Four Interesting Pursuits

• Capture Corner: Customer Engagement in GovCon Pursuits

• Pricing Insights: Most Favored Customer/Most Favored Nation (MFC/MFN) Clauses

Opportunity Alert – DOD USSOCOM EMAPS3

Contact Katie: [email protected]

Department of Defense (DoD), US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Enterprise Machine Learning Analytics and Persistent Services 3 (EMAPS3).

USSOCOM needs project management, transition support, operations support, global logistics support, support to cyber operations, C5ISR support, and training & systems transition support. The government anticipates the Industry Day for this $2.6B, Full and Open/Unrestricted opportunity to take place on November 5, 2025, with Due Diligence. The final solicitation is anticipated to be released via ALLIANT 2 Unrestricted. Contact Hinz Consulting for Capture, PTW, and Proposal support today.

Four to Follow

1. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Architect-Engineer (A-E) Vertical Design Military Interagency and International Services Limited Civil Works Programs (IIS)(CW) IDIQ. USACE, South Pacific Division (SPD) requires A-E vertical design services to encompass a wide range of projects, including architectural renovations, maintenance and repair, energy conservation projects, waterfront facilities, demolition, environmental compliance, and resource protection. This $499M Full and Open/Unrestricted IDIQ is projected for release in November 2025, with an estimated award in February 2026. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for updates in the procurement timeline.

2. USACE, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Multi-Discipline A-E MATOC. On October 24, 2025, the Contracting Office released a Sources Sought for interested contractors able to support the design of new structures, renovation of existing structures, and additional architectural and engineering services in support of USACE. Market Survey responses are due no later than 2:00 PM AKST on November 12, 2025. The final solicitation for this $400M MATOC is expected to be released around February 2026, with a projected award in August 2026. The competition is currently unknown. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for further updates.

3. Department of the Navy, V Dept. Combat Systems Engineering Strategic Planning. On October 27, 2025, the Contracting Office released a revised Draft RFP, confirming the procurement schedule. This $250M Full and Open/Unrestricted single-award opportunity is expected to be released via SeaPort NxG in December 2025, with an expected award date of August 2027. The release date is anticipated to slip into Q2 FY2026, potentially. Continue to monitor your SeaPort portal and SAM.gov for additional information and schedule updates.

4. Department of the Air Force, 638th Supply Chain Management Group (SCMG) Advisory and Assistance Service (A&AS) Logistics Support. On October 11, 2025, the Contracting Office released a Sources Sought notice, both via SAM.gov and GSA MAS, with responses due no later than 5:00 PM ET on November 10, 2025. The Department of the Air Force requires support to enable the employment of weapon systems and to provide life-cycle logistics support for the 638 SCMG. The final solicitation for this $7.6M 8(a) Set-Aside opportunity is expected to be released in December 2025, with an anticipated award date of March 2026. Continue to monitor SAM.gov and your eBUY portals for further information.

Customer Engagement in GovCon Pursuits

Contact Nick: [email protected]

In government contracting, customer engagement is a foundational element that directly shapes capture and proposal success. It’s not just about building relationships; it’s about understanding and aligning with agency priorities. Too often, teams skip this critical step, diving straight into RFP analysis or solution development, only to miss the mark with their bids. Let’s explore why prioritizing engagement—particularly through personal interactions —is key, and how neglecting it can undermine your efforts.

Why Customer Engagement Matters

Customer engagement involves meaningful dialogue with agency decision-makers, stakeholders, and end-users. To gain insights and build trust, you need to go beyond attending industry days and networking events; you must have one-on-one dialogue with the customer. Here's how customer engagement strengthens capture:

• Develops Customer Insight: Personal calls or visits uncover challenges and priorities not reflected in RFPs. Without this, solutions rely on assumptions, resulting in weak proposals.

• Ensures Your Solution Fits, and Demonstrates It Clearly: Engagement validates capabilities and refines approaches. Proposals can then use precise language, such as tying features to the discussed needs, to demonstrate clear value to evaluators.

• Shapes Requirements as a Trusted Advisor: As a partner, influence RFPs with input during pre-solicitation. Suggest a consortium of industry and academia for complex projects. Early engagement secures a seat at the table for market research and drafts. Starting relationships early shifts you into a proactive stance, offering visibility into budgets and opportunities.

Evaluate Customer Engagement in Gate Reviews

Assess engagement during gate reviews, which guide bid/no-bid decisions. At each stage, review interactions with questions like:

• Have we held enough one-on-one engagements?

• What insights have shaped our strategy?

• Are there gaps only direct dialogue can fill?

• Have we engaged with the right people? (Only talking to the contracting officer is not enough.)

Minimal engagement directly affects PWin by increasing risks such as unknown customer needs, missed opportunities, and limited visibility with the agency. If you are evaluating PWin and have not established positive customer engagement, adjust it downward by 20–30% or more. If the revised PWin remains low, consider a no-bid decision to avoid unnecessary expenditure of resources.

The Downside of Neglecting Engagement

Skipping engagement weakens your position:

• Misaligned Proposals: Bids target perceived needs, scoring low and wasting effort.

• Diminished Competitive Edge: Competitors shape requirements, tilting the field.

• Missed Trust-Building: Late engagement erodes credibility for current and future pursuits.

• Post-Award Risks: In the event you do win, you risk a poor transition-in phase, non-compliance, and overall performance issues.

Actionable Tips to Strengthen Engagement

• Map key stakeholders early.

• Go into one-on-ones informed, enabling you to ask meaningful questions.

• Go into meetings with a clear agenda and goal.

• Take notes and be available to record them in your CRM once you are back at your desk.

• Advise via resources or ideas like consortiums, without selling.

• Track metrics like meeting frequency.

In summary, embedding customer engagement deeply into your GovCon processes—from early opportunity qualification through gate reviews and proposal development—is not just strategic; it is essential for turning potential pursuits into actual wins. By committing to those critical one-on-one interactions, you will not only uncover and address actual agency needs but also position your firm as a trusted advisor capable of shaping opportunities and fostering innovative solutions. Neglecting this step invites misalignment, reduced PWin, and missed competitive edges, so make it a non-negotiable priority in every capture plan. As you refine your approach, remember that consistent engagement builds lasting relationships that pay dividends across multiple pursuits. If you find yourself wondering how to get that first meeting or who you should engage, please reach out to learn how Hinz can assist in your pre-RFP engagements.

Most Favored Customer/Most Favored Nation (MFC/MFN) Clauses

Contact Dr. Tom: [email protected]

You have probably seen and/or heard of MFC/MFN, especially when working on federal contracts. An MFC (Most Favored Customer) is a status conferred upon a buyer in a business contract through a specific clause, often called a Most Favored Customer clause or Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause. In simple terms, an MFC/MFN clause is a contractual guarantee that the buyer will receive the best terms and conditions offered by the seller to any other customer.

Key Aspects of an MFC/MFN Clause:

• Guaranteed Best Terms: It primarily ensures the buyer is always getting the lowest price the seller offers in the market for the same goods or services.

• Automatic Adjustment: If the seller later offers a lower price or more favorable terms (e.g., delivery, payment, or warranty) to another customer, the MFC clause automatically requires the seller to offer those same improved terms to the MFC.

• Purpose for the Buyer: The buyer uses this clause as a form of price protection and assurance that they will not be disadvantaged compared to their competitors or other clients of the seller.

• Implications for the Seller: The seller must be cautious with all subsequent pricing, as a lower price offered to any other client will trigger a price reduction for the MFC, often retroactively. This makes the seller's pricing strategy less flexible.

• Legal Scrutiny: In some industries or when used by companies with significant market power, MFC clauses can be subject to antitrust and competition law scrutiny, as they can sometimes discourage the seller from offering discounts to other potential buyers, which may limit overall market competition.

MFCs are used when developing GSA Schedule rates—one method for establishing pricing under a new labor category. In this process, GSA selects the most competitive (lowest) rate as the awarded GSA rate for that category. Typically, GSA recommends using at least three MFCs per labor category.  At any time, if a contractor—while acting as a subcontractor—proposes a rate that triggers the Price Reductions Clause (PRC), the contractor must revise the established GSA rate accordingly. This revision can also affect other contracts that use the same rate, so it’s important to monitor carefully and be prepared to take corrective action if necessary. In summary, be aware of where proposed pricing is when working on a GSA solicitation as a subcontractor. There are potential workarounds such as:

• Including language in your Commercial Sales Practice (CSP) that lists the discounts you will offer to future prime contractors.

• Bidding as a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) subcontractor (not always applicable due to solicitation flow-downs).

• Having your GSA schedule based on Transactional Data Reporting (TDR)/Commercial Price List (CPL).

• November 5-6th: GovAI Coalition Summit in San Jose, CA

• November 10-12th: Deltek Project Con in Aurora, CO

• November 12th: National Small Business Federal Contracting Summit in DC

About Hinz Consulting

Hinz Consulting provides services across the full business development cycle:

• Proposals

• Capture

• Price To Win

• Competitive Intelligence

• Strategic Pricing

• Production

• AI Services

• Training

• BD Transformation 

• Process/Methodology 

• Tools and Template

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